LAPD recovers air guns after men were spotted on downtown hotel roof with what looked like weapons [Updated]

Los Angeles police shut down streets encompassing a five-square-block area of downtown Monday afternoon after several men were seen on the roof of a hotel with weapons that turned out to be air guns.

The incident was reported about 4 p.m. at the Huntington Hotel. The four or five men, who appeared to be young adults, were on top of the building bounded by Spring and Main Streets near 8th Street, the Los Angeles Police Department said.

Video shot from a KABC Channel 7 helicopter showed several men on the roof who appeared to be wielding handguns as they walked around on the roof. After a brief time, they disappeared down a stairwell, appearing to stash the weapons inside.

Police conducted a search and discovered the air guns. Officers at the scene say several youths with toy air guns were questioned at the residential hotel but were not arrested.

"From a technical standpoint, there is no crime," said Lt. Paul Vernon of the LAPD. "But I would classify this as felony stupid. No one should be on the roof of a downtown hotel with handguns -- real or not."

[Updated 7:26 p.m.: As officers entered the building, an LAPD sniper had to make a quick decision about whether to pull his trigger, Vernon said. The sniper had his sights fixed on one of the men, who was leaning over the roof with his weapon, which appeared to be a Tec-9 sub-machine gun. But it was not pointed at the officers.

"Had he pointed that gun at the officers, he would have lost his life," Vernon said.]

-- Robert J. Lopez and Andrew Blankstein

Comments

[My opinon means nothing]

What were these idiots thinking? Carrying air guns that look like the real thing? How stupid can one get!

[james andrews]

They were probably trying to shoot pigeons in which case someone should have gotten them more ammo.

[Rosee]

Weren't arrested? Umm..how about disturbing the peace?!
Did they live at the Hotel? If not..how about tresspassing?
Sounds like they are juvenile deliquients...how about checking if they have a rap sheet?

[PadrePete]

"But I would classify this as felony stupid..."
No, I would classify this as; Patriot Act, Homeland Security, terrorists in the belfrey, paranoid, overreacting, overreaching, overbearing, Nazi stlye display of overzealous.... oh, forget it!
More likely it was just another media sensationalized pitch to justify more funding for das police to justify more gun control...eg., PEOPLE CONTROL.
When are you, the people going to understand the penned in parchment relationship as to just who is the MASTER and who is the public SERVANT?

[Fireman Roofing DFW]

At least nobody was hurt in this incident. We've had more than one instance here where young children were playing with guns and the situation escalated quickly. Most likely they were on the roof playing games. Glad that everybody is okay.

[Tom B.]

MORONS!!
If those snipers would have taken one of them out, it would have been natural selection in action.

[Dan]

Live and play in the new downtown!

[Andrew Becker]

I was on the scene, actually standing next to Lt. Vernon as he was interviewing. According to officers I questioned there were four (not five) adult males on the roof with Tech 9 modeled AirSoft weapons. They were target shooting on the roof with no intent to cause harm. Witnesses and officers had no way of telling if the weapons were real or not as AirSoft weapons are modeled to look nearly exactly like the real thing.

Hearing the "Felony stupid" quote in person was a good laugh.

I have lots of photos from inside the police line. If anyone has interest please contact me.

[Causual Observer]

The young man that was almost shot must've been white. If the sniper had seen dark skin, there would have been no hesitation.

[Mufon]

"Causual Observer,"

The only thing more dimwitted than your post is misspelling your name.

[Neil]

Why is everyone so nervous? The Supreme Court thinks everyone should have a gun and many Times readers are convinced that guns mean freedom.

[cgopat1]

"Causual Observer" (whatever that's supposed to mean), blatantly flaunts his ignorance. If anyone is familiar with the Huntington Hotel (752 S Main St), they would know that there are NO white people who live there. It's filled with gangsters and thugs from South Central, and there's nothing but a bunch of crack dealers that hang out outside. So obviously those on the roof WERE Black. And why hasn't Lt Paul Vernon done anything to remove this blight from the downtown landscape??

[jad]

Neil is right. The Right will have us in a future when seeing a bunch of kids with guns will be no big deal--everyone will be carrying guns. And that includes the 70 or 80% of the people I know, i.e., that vast majority of us who are unfit to carry a grocery bag. We'll all be jes' plinkin' away at each tother, exurcisin' those good ole second amindment rayhts.

[Victor]

What was going through these idiots' minds: Just think, if they wanted to bear guns and scare people, all they had to do is go to the nearest Starbucks where they would be greeted with a nice cup of capuccino!!

[sitdownandbequiet]

Sounds like cgopat1 (whatever that's supposed to mean) spends a lot of time at the Huntington Hotel.

[anthony]

I'd like to bring more rationality into the discussion.

-A lot of young boys, including me, played with bb guns when we were kids. Of course, it's easy in the suburbs but obviously, a bit more dangerous when you live in the city.

-The cops were doing their job. People on roofs with guns is a serious situation.

-Outlawing guns won't change their availability, for you whining, bleeding hearts.

[Dave]

TEC-9 firearms (spelled in all caps, BTW) are not sub-machine guns.

Sub-machine guns, like all machine guns, fire full-auto (1 trigger pull = bang, bang, bang, ....). The TEC-9 is a semi-auto (1 trigger pull = 1 bang). TEC-9s have the same capability as any 9 mm semi-auto pistol like Glocks, Walthers, Berettas, Taurus, etc.

[sitdownandbequiet]

Anthony,

"Outlawing guns won't change their availability".

What an incredibly ignorant statement, wrong in the face of all evidence and yet still touted as some kind of fact.